UFO'S of UAP'S, ASTRONOMIE, RUIMTEVAART, ARCHEOLOGIE, OUDHEIDKUNDE, SF-SNUFJES EN ANDERE ESOTERISCHE WETENSCHAPPEN

On previous occasions, I have written here at Mysterious Universe on the subject of a U.S. Government UFO-themed program of the late 1940s to the early 1950s. It was called Project Twinkle. Its mandate was to investigate reports of strange, brightly lit, green fireballs. They were seen in close proximity to military installations and facilities involved in research concerning atomic energy (largely, but not exclusively, in the southwest of the United States). Many of the staff believed the fireballs were under intelligent control. While the program was ultimately closed and fell into a degree of obscurity, the now-available files offer an intriguing insight into the phenomenon. Take, for example, the following document of October 18, 1948, which tells a fascinating and intriguing story. It is one of many. Here’s how it starts:

“18 Oct 48 – CONFIDENTIAL Gen Holger Toftoy (US Army Ordnance/Rocket) daily log: Conference attended by Cols Toftoy, Roberts & Bainbridge (CC), Maj J.F. Gay & Dr. J. J. Grebe, (Chemical Corps), and Dr. Mugson. Chemical Corps reported analysis of fragments picked up from ‘flying saucer’ which vanished with a brilliant flash and bang near Midland, Michigan. Sand and clinker recovered from the locality contained nuggets of fairly pure silver and some thorium. The thorium was sufficient to give radioactivity approximately 10 times natural background which could possibly be ascribed to thorium coated filaments in electronic equipment, although the quantity seems excessive.”

The document continues: “There was evidence also of magnesium which had been completely oxidized. Dr. Grebe advanced his hypothesis that small missiles of the order of 1 to 3 feet in diameter might be responsible, coming from distant sources. He considered that a rapidly rotating disc of magnesium and /or aluminum might have enough energy if properly utilized to propel the disc several thousand miles, and might be completely destroyed by burning in air. Remaining traces of silver and thorium might be ascribed to electronic control system.”

We are then told: “After discussion, it was agreed that Col Roberts should request the Bur of Standards group to investigate some of the mechanisms which might conceivably propel discs of this general type and TU will keep in close touch with these calculations (CMH). A meeting next Monday, 25 Oct, can be arranged with Dr. Grebe if indications are favorable. Dr. Grebe also briefly described a theory of his that a fish-shaped object with a modified tear-drop cross section would take off along the long axis and change position in flight to fly at an angle more like a flying wing. No wings or other aerodynamic surfaces that produce drag would be required.”

Clearly, a great deal of time and effort went into resolving this matter, regardless of the origins of the fragments. The reference to such fragments possibly having come from a “flying saucer” is interesting. It’s important to note, though, the fact that those two words – “flying” and “saucer” – are contained within quotation marks. This suggests the military was using the term as one which was in popular, widespread use at the time, but not necessarily intended to mean “alien spacecraft.”

Whatever the truth of the affair described above, it’s notable that it was cases like this one which had the Project Twinklepeople more than a bit concerned. Consider the following: Three months later, the Headquarters 4th Army prepared a document titled “Unconventional Aircraft.” It began: “1. The inclosed Summary of Information: subject ‘Unconventional Aircraft’ (Control No. A-1917) dated 13 Jan 49, is forwarded for your information and any action deemed necessary. 2. Agencies in New Mexico are greatly concerned over these phenomena. They are of the opinion that some foreign power is making ‘sensing shots’ with some super-stratospheric device designed to be self-disintegrating. They also believe that when the device is perfected for accuracy, the disintegrating factor will be eliminated in favor of a warhead.”

The military continued: “3. Another theory being advanced as possibly acceptable lies in the belief that the phenomena are the result of radiological warfare experiments by a foreign power, further, that the rays may be lethal or might be attributed to the cause of some of the plane crashes that have occurred recently. 4. Still another belief that is advanced is that, it is highly probable that the United States may be carrying out some top-secret experiments. 5. It is felt that these incidents are of such great importance, especially as they are occurring in the vicinity of sensitive installations, that a scientific board be sent to this locality to study the situation with a view of arriving at a solution of this extraordinary phenomena with the least practicable delay. 6. It is further requested that this headquarters be informed of action taken on this and a previous report in order that reporting agencies may be advised.”

In view of all the above, it’s hardly surprising that, behind closed doors, people were restless. Additional records show that Project Twinkle never did resolve matters to the satisfaction of everyone. The green fireballs vanished into oblivion, leaving more than a few people both puzzled and alarmed as to what the truth really was.

The study recently published in the journal Nature—titled Hybrid human–chicken embryos illuminate key developmental milestone—describes the revolutionary breakthrough as “A new technique reveals the earliest stages of human development without the need for human embryos.”

A group of stem cell scientists has made an unprecedented accomplishment as they have successfully combined artificial human cells with the embryo of chickens, in a shocking scientific experiment that aims to understand better how life develops.

Scientists had never before been able to understand and answer how specific cells in a developing human embryo arrange themselves to become muscles or libs, while others become bones and nerves.

However, everything has changed with a new experiment performed by researchers from the Rockefeller University in New York.

A group of scientists led by Dr. Ali Brivanlou has achieved the unthinkable by grafting petri dish grown human cells onto a chicken embryo and observed how cells could organize themselves.

In the study published in Nature, researchers from Rockefeller university unveiled the inner machinations of so-called ‘organizer cells.’ These cells are believed to play a crucial role in the formational of a cells top, bottom, and back, and are thought to dictate how the human body takes shape.

Speaking about the discovery, Dr. Brivanlou said: “No one knew what happens after the ball of cells attaches itself to the uterus.”

Human embryonic stem cells were coaxed into embryo-like structures to study the earliest stages of development.

Credit: Prof. Miodrag Stojkovic/SPL

Putting an end to the use of human embryos in laboratories

The new, revolutionary study aims to bypass ethical issues surrounding the use of human embryos in laboratory experiments. Countries like the United States, for example, have banned the use of human embryos which are more than 14 days old, which is precisely when organizer cells begin to form.

The new study saw experts bypass the rule by growing embryo-like structures derived from human embryonic cells in the lab.

The next phase saw scientists graft the cells onto 12-hour-old chicken embryos which are considered to be the equivalent of a 14-day human.

In the new study scientists said that the as the chicken embryos grew, organizer cells began the formation of a second chicken nervous system.

In other words, it is a revolutionary discovery in medicine, one that is welcomed by researchers around the globe.

Dr. Martin Blum, a biologist at the University of Hohenheim in Germany, said that the discovery could put an end to the use of actual human embryos in laboratories.

At the moment I could not think of a case where an early human embryo would be needed to answer fundamental questions.”

However, Dr. Brivanlou disagrees with Dr. Blum.

There is no substitute for studying the real embryo,” Dr. Brivanlou has said.

“Everything else we do when we try to model kind of oversimplifies it.”

Martin Pera, a stem-cell researcher at the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, is impressed with the study.

There’s quite a lot there that this system will lead to,” he says — including a better understanding of defects in the early development of human embryos that can lead to miscarriages, and the ability to compare the embryo-like structures with human stem-cell cultures to better define stem cells’ abilities, reports the study in Nature.

The next step, say, researchers, is to determine how exactly the human organizer cells influence their neighbors.

This breakthrough could help scientists understand how to manipulate human stem cells into specific tissues or structures, as part of therapies to regenerate organs and tissues.

“Human embryonic stem cells and eggs have all the information,” Brivanlou says. “Everything else is pushing the first domino.”